Game apparatus



Oct. 21, 1930. J. MCCULLOUGH GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1929 INVENTO 771 (PM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. '21, 1930 s 1 UNITED. STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

:rorm mecuLLouen, or sen rnnncrsco, OALH'ORNIA' was APPARATUS Application filed February 19, 1929. Serial No. 341,228.

My present invention relates to game apsuitable shape and size, and extending upparatus and more particularly to a game-ball wardly from the rear end of the base 10 there retaining and delivering device. is shown an upright tubular member 11 which An object of my invention is to provide a has a flared or funnel-shaped end into which '8 receptacle which is adapted to hold a numballs may be placed. Projecting into the 55. her of game balls and from which the balls member 11 and communicating with the upmay be discharged, as desired, one at a time. per or funnel-shaped end 12 thereof, I show In the playing of games, wherein balls are an inclined receptacle or tubular member 13 used as the playing pieces, it is often desirwhich is of sufficient length in the present in- 1 able to have the balls available where they stance to hold approximately one dozen golf so can be readily obtained when needed. One balls. The lower-end of this tubular member game in which my proposed device will find 13 is supported upon the base by means of a a large demand is in connection with the bracket 14. At the outer or discharge end of ame of golf and particularly in connection the tubular receptacle 13 I show a hinged gate 15 with driving practice. In the teaching of 15 which is normally held in its closed posi- 05 golf, professionals very often supply the tion by means of a spring 16,as shown in Fig. student with a large number of balls which 4. 'The gate 15 is hinged along the top side he is required to drive from a'suitable tee, of the receptacle 13 by means of a hinge 17 the instructor observing the form and vaand projecting beyond the hinge 17 and 20 rious faults so that he may correct the same. formed as a part of the gate 15, I show a mem- 70 Under these conditions, the balls are usually ber or plate 18 by means of which the gate placed on the mat and the player drives them 15 may be opened and closed, as will hereinofl', one at a time, and it is therefore desirable fter appear. Associated with the gate 15 that the balls be readily available so that I also provide a rearwardly projecting armthe placing of the balls will be simplified, ate member 19 which cooperates with the gate 75 AS an appliance for this partj cu1ar use, I 15 when the latter is open topreventmorethan propose to provide an inclined receptacle one ball being discharged from the receptacle from which the balls will roll, one at a time 1 uponca h opening of the gate, the. member by gravity when released th f Th 19 in this mstance beingarranged concentric particular ball releasing means contemplated Wl h he pmtle 0f the hinge 17 and adapted by me 'is of such a nature that the balls can to P J d wnwardly through the top of be released one at a time by merely touching the receptacle at a point where 1t will enthe discharging means with the head of the g ge h h ll nex O'the lowermost one and golf club so that the player does not have to retain 1t and the other balls 11'). the retainer stoop over in discharging'the balls'thereas the IOWBImPSt ball 1 il rg $5 f The operatlon of my deviceis as follows: For 3, better understanding of jnven- It Wlll be 218511111861 that the device has been h d t th accomplaced upon a suitable tee or mat from which it is desired to practice driving, as in the game of golf. Under these conditions, the re- 90 broken away, showing the details of conceptacle W111 be Placed 011 h mat opposite a ti n f y i f v d d vi the player or at any other convenient s at Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the device and pl y r l n ngage the mem er shown in Fig. 1, 18 with the end of his golf club and by press- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in ing thereupon open the gate 15 and permit the Fig. 1, and 1 discharge of one of the balls retainedin the Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the receptacle 13. This ball will naturally roll discharge end of my device with its gate. out upon the mat, and the player can then In the drawing, 10 designates a suitable either drive the ball from this position, or

base or foundation plate which may be of any move it around to suit his particular wishes to tion, reference should b panying drawing, wherein 7 40 Fig. 1 is a view in elevation with parts any desirable point upon the mat. After he has driven this ball off the mat, he can set up another ball for a repetition by merely touching the member 18 again with the head of his club and discharging a second ball. In this manner a player, particularly in practice of this nature, may after filling the receptacle 13 with balls, stand off on the mat and drive the balls one at a time in a very rapid and convenient manner without havlng to stoop over to pick up or place the balls and, in fact, he might even do this without changing his stance, this latter feature being particularly valuable during the course of instruction as a person might want to observe just what the effect of the stance is in his driving.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now'known to me, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the apfiendecl claims.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A game-ball apparatus comprising an inclined receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of balls, a gate at the lower end thereof adapted to close the same, an enlarged member adapted to be struck by a game piece to open said ate and means associated with said gate w ereby when said gate is opened onl one of said balls will be discharged from sai receptacle and allowed to roll free of the apparatus upon each opening of the gate.

2. A golf ball retainer and delivery device comprising a base, an upwardly extending tubular portion having a flared end into which the balls may be placed, an inclined receptacle associated with said flared end so as to receive the balls placed therein, a normally closed gate at the lower end of said inclined receptacle, whereby the balls may be released from said receptacle one at a time, and means having a surface area greater than the area of said gate carried by said gate adapted to be engaged by the head of the golf club to open the gate, said means being isposed above the ate so that the balls may roll from the tube ree from interference by the club. 2

3. A game-ball receptacle comprising an inclined tube adapted to receive a plurality of balls, agate at the lower end of said tube adapted to close the same, means for holding said gate normally closed, a stop cooperating with said gate for preventing more than one ball beingdischarged from said tube when said gate is opened, and an enlarged member disposed above and carried by said gate adapted'when engaged to open the same and permit the discharge of a ball.

v 4. In a device of the character described an inclined tube bein open at its upper end for thereception of alls and having a closure at its lower end, said closure comprising a plate hinged to the tube and being resilientl mounted in a closed position, an n ward ly extending portion adapted to e pressed toward the tube for opening said closure and allowing one ball to roll from the tube, and an arcuate member carried by said upwardly extending portion and adapted to extend into the tube and prevent other balls from rolling therefrom when the closure is opened.

5. In a device of the character described, an inclined 1 be bein open at its upper end for the reception of balls and having a closure at its lower end, said closure comprising a plate hinged to the tube and being resihently mounted in a closed position, a striking plate secured to the closure and extending'upwardly therefrom to be struck by a playing piece to open the closure, and an arcuate member carried by the closure and adapted to extend into the tube and prevent other balls from rolling therefrom when! the closure is opened.

JOHN MCCULLOUGH. 

